Presently, due to the rise in the cost of manufacturing, manipulation, and distribution of saffron, the commercialization of the stigmas of saffron flower are being replaced by the commercialization of extracts of such stigmas.
The extracts of stigmas of saffron flower are currently obtained by a complicated, slow and expensive proceeding by means of leaching and evaporation, which increases the price of the final product.
It is also known that the artificial dyes commonly named xe2x80x9cTartracinaxe2x80x9d are commonly used, and that these dyes do not have the qualities of the extract obtained from saffron itself, and specifically from the stigmas of its flower.
The present invention consists of a process for obtaining an extract of saffron, both in a solid and in a liquid state, from the stigmas of the saffron flower. Such method generally consists of submitting the stigmas of saffron to a series of operative phases specifically dehydration, trituration by grinding, mixing with de-ionized water/96xc2x0 alcohol, filtration and concentration under vacuum at a low temperature, obtaining the liquid extract of saffron.
Another characteristic of the process, object of the present invention is to get solid extract from saffron starting form the liquid extract before mentioned, by means of the operating phases of dehydration by lyophilisation of the liquid extract, followed by its vacuum and heating at a low temperature.